3rd Place in the east

[daSwami]

I talked some Wizards today on NewsTalk on News Channel 8. There's some Nats talk, too, but that comes later so you can just stop watching if you're only into the hoops.

Wiz Talk

No one named Spence in that whole clip. liar.

[Spence]

I talked some Wizards today on NewsTalk on News Channel 8. There's some Nats talk, too, but that comes later so you can just stop watching if you're only into the hoops.

Wiz Talk

No one named Spence in that whole clip. liar.

[WallToWall]

....5th in the east. Yes, its early and probably meaningless. But nice to see.

[closg00]

....5th in the east. Yes, its early and probably meaningless. But nice to see.

6th in the East currently.

[montestewart]

....5th in the east. Yes, its early and probably meaningless. But nice to see.

6th in the East currently.

Looks better than 9th, although 9th in the EC might be a bad enough record that they wouldn't lose the pick.

[payitforward]

Extrapolating our current home and road records out to their full 41 games each, we win about 35 games, or maybe 36.

We've played 25% of the season already. To win 50 games -- hey, this is a 50-win team; weren't you (all of us) crowing that only a week ago -- to win 50 games, we just have to go 41-21 the rest of the way.

[LyricalRico]

Extrapolating our current home and road records out to their full 41 games each, we win about 35 games, or maybe 36.

We've played 25% of the season already. To win 50 games -- hey, this is a 50-win team; weren't you (all of us) crowing that only a week ago -- to win 50 games, we just have to go 41-21 the rest of the way.

Thanks for the wet blanket. LOL

Seriously, though - high 30's in wins probably makes the playoffs, but given the state of the (L)east that's not going to be enough the more I think about it. Maybe they don't get 50 wins, but a top 4 seed and a legit shot at the second round of the playoffs would be nice. I know I said playoffs was the criteria for keeping Ernie at the beginning of the year, but given how bad the conference has turned out that may not be enough anymore.

[nuposse04]

Extrapolating our current home and road records out to their full 41 games each, we win about 35 games, or maybe 36.

We've played 25% of the season already. To win 50 games -- hey, this is a 50-win team; weren't you (all of us) crowing that only a week ago -- to win 50 games, we just have to go 41-21 the rest of the way.

This makes sense if you assume we'll stay as injured as we are and no trades will be made to address the vulgar play of Maynor...sadly it also isn't unreasonable to assume those trends continue given our past

50-32 or gtfo!

[Dat2U]

Every team in the league looks like a 50 or 60 win team when they actually win. Nivek made a great point about this a few years back. Generally teams look real good when they win and really bad when they don't. What separates a good team from a team like the Wizards is that good teams have the consistency to put up good performances more often than not as opposed to every other or 3rd game in the Wizards case.

The Wizards specifically, aren't capable of winning 50 games. When your roster basically consists of one all-star, 2 solid starters (including Nene who is always hurt), 2 solid role players and a 19 yr old not quite ready for primetime SG getting ran into the ground at 40 minutes per, you'll be lucky to even win half your games.

PIF is right on the money. We look like a 35-40 win team... and that's only if Wall stays upright, Nene is able to finish the season and we don't lose any of the top 6 guys for an extended period of time (10 games or more).

So making the playoffs is a definite possibility but not a guarantee. Even in a historically down year. How sad is that. Were all in for the playoffs. Teams like Orl, Phi, Tor, Bos & Mil all want to tank and despite Ernie's best efforts and capping ourselves out in the process, the playoffs seem like anything but a sure thing for us.

Sad part is Ernie has painted us so far into a corner that we can't even improve. We can't even afford to cut a guaranteed contract to sign a FA because were right under the tax line. Similarly, it makes any trades tough because the Wizards can't take on any salary whatsoever. That's what happens when you have a part time player in Nene getting $13 mil annually. Or why the Okafor/Ariza deal was a terrible deal because it limited the ability to make other moves to improve the team (opportunity cost).

Even if meet this ridiculous self-imposed goal of making the playoffs, I fail to see how it even helps us long term. We lose a 1st rounder, resign Gortat then what? We'll still be 5 or 6 deep heading into next season with little margin for error.

[payitforward]

Every team in the league looks like a 50 or 60 win team when they actually win. Nivek made a great point about this a few years back. Generally teams look real good win they win and really bad when they don't. What separates a good team from a team like the Wizards is that good teams have the consistency to put up good performances more often than not as opposed to every other or 3rd game in the Wizards case.

The Wizards specifically, aren't capable of winning 50 games. When your roster basically consists of one all-star, 2 solid starters (including Nene who is always hurt), 2 solid role players and a 19 yr old not quite ready for primetime SG getting ran into the ground at 40 minutes per, you'll be lucky to even win half your games.

PIF is right on the money. We look like a 35-40 win team... and that's only if Wall stays upright, Nene is able to finish the season and we don't lose any of the top 6 guys for an extended period of time (10 games or more).

So making the playoffs is a definite possibility but not a guarantee. Even in a historically down year. How sad is that. Were all in for the playoffs. Teams like Orl, Phi, Tor, Bos & Mil all want to tank and despite Ernie's best efforts and capping ourselves out in the process, the playoffs seem like anything but a sure thing for us.

Sad part is Ernie has painted us so far into a corner that we can't even improve. We can't even afford to cut a guaranteed contract to sign a FA because were right under the tax line. Similarly, it makes any trades tough because the Wizards can't take on any salary whatsoever. That's what happens when you have a part time player in Nene getting $13 mil annually. Or why the Okafor/Ariza deal was a terrible deal because it limited the ability to make other moves to improve the team (opportunity cost).

Even if meet this ridiculous self-imposed goal of making the playoffs, I fail to see how it even helps us long term. We lose a 1st rounder, resign Gortat then what? We'll still be 5 or 6 deep heading into next season with little margin for error.

Right on the first piece I bolded -- except I'd put it slightly differently: good teams put up good performances more often not *because* they're more "consistent" but because they have more good players. Better teams have better players.

And on the 2d point I bolded, right again -- Ernie has made it extremely difficult for us to get more of those good players. Ernie and Ted, I should really say.

[payitforward]

Extrapolating our current home and road records out to their full 41 games each, we win about 35 games, or maybe 36.

We've played 25% of the season already. To win 50 games -- hey, this is a 50-win team; weren't you (all of us) crowing that only a week ago -- to win 50 games, we just have to go 41-21 the rest of the way.

Thanks for the wet blanket. LOL

Seriously, though - high 30's in wins probably makes the playoffs, but given the state of the (L)east that's not going to be enough the more I think about it. Maybe they don't get 50 wins, but a top 4 seed and a legit shot at the second round of the playoffs would be nice. I know I said playoffs was the criteria for keeping Ernie at the beginning of the year, but given how bad the conference has turned out that may not be enough anymore.

What wet blanket? Facts are facts, man. Ignore them at one's peril. This 30-something win team is what Ernie and Ted have built at great effort, out of their strategic capabilities, and with an incredible list of assets they worked with. It's pathetic.

Any notion of "criteria for keeping Ernie" are a total waste of attention and analysis. What does a guy have to do to demonstrate he's not gifted at his job? Whatever it is, Ernie's demonstrated long long ago. Leave aside our problems this year. We've averaged 25 wins a year over the previous five seasons! Do you see any GM in the league with a similar record who has kept his job?

Forget setting a low bar for Ernie -- he has tripped over a line in the road too many times! No owner in his right mind would retain him, and Ted won't. My real concern is who he'll hire and whether that new GM will be given enough scope to make decisions that need to be made -- Ted hasn't shown that he'll hire the right guy or that he'll stay out of his way.

[closg00]

9th seed

[GhostsOfGil]

Hilariously sad that the pinnacle of the season may be: "that one time we were .500 at 9 and 9.

[tontoz]

So we are 0-4 since this thread started.

IBTL

[TGW]

Horrible thread. Fits perfectly with a bad team.

[doclinkin]

So we are 0-4 since this thread started.

IBTL

Hrpmh... No lock: I'm happy about the losses based on lack of depth, but with some quality young starters. We need one more high lotto pick or else we'll be stuck as sub-mediocre forever. Can't stand that we were on the 7th seed with no hope no future, and that we traded a possible lotto pick. Flipside to a win like tonight: really? We get zero minutes for Otto or GRjr?

This season drives me batty.

[Hypnotizer]

We are back to 6th.

[omegatronic3]

So we are 0-4 since this thread started.

IBTL

oh no I jinxed em...but it was nice while it lasted

[omegatronic3]

Horrible thread. Fits perfectly with a bad team.

then why are you posting in it if its so horrible

[TGW]

Horrible thread. Fits perfectly with a bad team.

then why are you posting in it if its so horrible

Just wanted to let you know how awful it is. Congrats.